Using bottled amonia to cycle a fishtank, anyone an expert?

Question

I can find pure amonia, without perfumes, dyes, etc. All of the clear amonia I can find has had at least a small amount of surfactant added to it. Anybody know if this is a problem? I have a skimmer... will that take care of any surfactant effect?

Answer 1

Don't use it if you can find something else. The surfactant is pretty harmful to your fish and it's hard to rinse out of your tank once you've used it.

Some people have luck finding the right kind of ammonia at WalMart, others at Ace Hardware. Here's a thread discussing it (it also talks about the chemistry/ammonia levels involved, time estimates, etc.) --

Answer 2

I would avoid it. There are a few companies that produce pure ammonia and some package it for aquarium use. Of course, there are various other sources for ammonia in fishless cycling such as fish food or raw meat products. They are less exact to be sure, but the end result is the same.

If you are on good terms with any local high school or college, you could probably get a small amount of pure ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) from a chemistry teacher.

Also try looking at the cheapest possible sources of ammonia. The discount stores such as Dollar General, Dollar Tree etc. Those are more likely to sell the cheapest brands and those are less likely to have used additives.

MM

Answer 3

why not add a few real fish to your tank and put in a active culture treatment, mardel makes a great one! it takes one month for a tank to cycle, and the most naturally it is done the better you'll be. Ive never tried adding pure ammonia, but im not sure thats the same kind waiste makes.... add a couple fish really, then take 25% out each week for the rest of the tank life! test your water everyweek and having the assistance of a petstore makes everything so much easier!